


These Ties

by Xyriath



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Established Relationship, Incest, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-07 01:45:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6780241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xyriath/pseuds/Xyriath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ed and Al have a secret, one that they have kept with them for their entire existence, one that could put them in jeopardy if they're ever found out.  Inhuman abilities that set them above—and instill fear in—the ordinary person.</p><p>Roy is one of the few non-gifted individuals to whom they have entrusted their secret, but trust is a thing that is so easily broken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	These Ties

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ruighfserkla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruighfserkla/gifts).



> Commission for Ruighfserkla, Roy/Ed/Al + Magic! I drew on a few of my favorite fantasy canons for inspiration; hope you enjoy!

Though the creak of the fire escape was barely audible, the metal worn from many uses with a bit of help from some oil, Roy’s eyes snapped open immediately at the noise.  Careful not to make any noise himself, or disturb his surroundings, he pushed himself into a sitting position, every muscle tense and alert.

“Roy?”

The sleepy, quiet voice startled him into jumping slightly, and he turned, glancing down at the tousled head of golden hair, the golden eyes squinting in the dimness.

The corner of Roy’s mouth crooked up, and he whispered, “It’s all right, Alphonse.  Go back to sleep.”

But Al shifted anyway, blanket slipping off bare shoulders as he propped himself up on his elbows.  “You heard it too, didn’t you?”

Roy grimaced, cursing Al’s observational ability.  Reaching into the bedside drawer, he grabbed his gun, then slipped out of the bed.  “Stay here.”

“Yes, _sir._ ”

Roy shot a look back in Al’s direction, one of fond exasperation, at the smirk in his tone, but Al continued to ogle Roy’s bare ass unashamedly.  Roy snorted and rolled his eyes.

But another noise from the fire escape snapped his attention away from the two of them.

Finger near but not on the trigger, Roy crept to the window.  He kept it locked, but the glass wasn’t reinforced…

The window swung open as easily as a greased door, and a small form tumbled through with a grunt of effort.  Roy jerked his gun up.

“Shiteating motherfucker!”

With a groan, Roy closed his eyes briefly, lowering the gun.

“Hello, Edward.”

The pile straightened out, rolled onto its back—and then grinned.

“Hey, Roy.”  Ed’s eyes slid from Roy’s face, down his bare chest, and he smirked when they settled between his legs.  “Hello to you, too.”

Roy snorted again, turning back to the bedside drawer to replace the gun.  No matter which direction he turned, his poor ass would be subject to Elric ogling.  “I could have shot you.”

“I’d have shielded.”  Ed stood, entirely blithe, dusting himself off.  “I’ve got that spell on a fucking trigger at this point.”  He eyed Roy and Al, taking in their states of undress.  “Missed a fun night, I see.”

When Roy turned back, Ed caught his wrist in his automail hand, tugged him down, and kissed him deeply.

Roy reluctantly melted a little into the kiss, sighing against the warmth of Ed’s mouth for a few precious moments before Ed pulled away, heading over towards Al’s side of the bed.  Roy smiled softly as he watched them embrace, their kiss sweeter and gentler.

“We weren’t expecting you back for another _week_ , brother.  Is everything okay?”

Ed sighed, shucking off his shirt.  Roy frowned slightly; he could see, from the ribs, that Ed hadn’t been eating properly.  But he wanted to know the answer to Al’s question, so he would refrain from scolding.  For now.

“The fuckin’ _military_ showed up,” Ed spat, plopping down onto the bed and yanking at one of his shoes.  Though the boots had no laces, a consequence of Ed’s automail, it took him some effort to get them off.  Roy shared a sympathetic glance with Ed: as a member of the military himself, he knew how inconvenient it could be.  “Someone must’ve spilled the plan.  They came armed.  And with their fuckin’ _magic_ suppressants.”

Roy sat carefully on the edge of the bed.  Ed finished with his first boot and started with the second.  Al’s expression looked as anxious as Roy felt.  The military’s magic suppression squad was a _very_ nasty bunch.

He should know.  He had once been a part of it.

“Did they…?” Al finally asked, braver than Roy for daring.

Ed stilled, foot slipping back to the floor, boot in hand.  “We lost some.  More than some.  But it was mostly us—the underground.  The rest of the mages, the ones trapped in the labs, they’re out.”  He lifted his head, eyes shining.  “We got them _free._ ”

Roy let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding, sagging with relief.

“Shit, though.  Have you—you’ve seen those places, right, Roy?”

Roy nodded solemnly.  He hadn’t kept his past from Ed or Al, had owed them more than that.  Roy knew what Ed had seen: though the labs hadn’t been used for experimentation on mages for a century—supposedly—and had been rehabilitated into a secure compound for their safe confinement—also supposedly—the truth of the matter was far starker, and the images of so many humans, crammed into those tiny living spaces and watched incessantly by the military, haunted any free mage.  They haunted _Roy_ , and he should have been desensitized.  He couldn’t imagine how Ed, born free but at constant risk of being sent if he were caught, must have felt.

“I’m almost glad I couldn’t go, then,” Al said quietly.  The two had enough secrets about the underground between them that capturing both would undoubtedly be a fatal blow to the organization.

Ed nodded, shimmying out of his pants, then flopped back onto the bed.  “But I’m exhausted.  I’ll shower tomorrow morning.  Sleep now?”

Al was the first one to curl into Ed, practically burrowing, and Roy watched them hold each other and kiss, a crooked smile on his face.  He waited a few moments before laying down himself, pressing up against Ed, sandwiching him between them as he wrapped his arms around Ed and Al.

“Y’know,” Ed yawned, settling in.  “A lot of ‘em don’t get it.  In the underground.  How I can be with someone who’s not a mage.”  He turned to look over his shoulder at Roy, smirking.  “I always tell ‘em how much they’re missin’ out.”

Ed turned back, eyes closing peacefully.  But despite the matching expression on Al’s face in front of him, Roy couldn’t push away the anxiety wrapping around his chest.

—

Though Ed woke in the morning when Roy and Al did, he knew from the droopiness of his eyes that it wouldn’t be for long.  He did, however, grab the quick chance to shower, scrubbing off the grime from his travels.

Of course, this then necessitated walking wet and naked back into a bedroom where two people who had missed him very much pounced on him, their hands tugging the towel onto the floor and dragging him back onto the bed.  Their mouths took the place of hands, those hands wandering elsewhere, and the three of them fell together with gasps and kisses, wrapping around each other, ragged breaths echoing in the dim light of the morning.

Two rounds of sex and a long breather later, Ed staggered to the bathroom for another shower.  Because the shower in Roy’s apartment was fucking _massive_ , of course, this turned into a third round of sex, fingers slipping down water-beaded walls and thighs gripped around waists…

As a result, it was past noon before Ed finally got to sleep, and dusk when he finally awoke for good.

“Good morning,” Roy murmured from the counter when he finally wandered into the kitchen.  Though Ed couldn’t see the smirk, he could hear it, and snorted.

“Spend weeks straight organizing a liberation, _then_ laugh at me, asshole.”

The quick, steady thunk of the knife chopping through vegetables provided a domestic counterpoint to the talk of revolutions.  “I’ve told you I can help.”

Ed huffed.  “I’m workin’ on it.  These people don’t trust real well.  You know that.”

“Mmm.”  Roy finally turned, gently tossing his wallet at Ed.  “We’re out of eggs.  Take your brother and go get a dozen.  I don’t need them until later, though.”

Ed’s face split into a grin.

—

Hand in Al’s as he wandered the streets of Central Ed immediately treated his errand as Roy had meant it: a reason to get out, walk around, and enjoy being home.

The city sang, as it always did, tall skyscrapers side by side with older buildings harmonizing into a complex symphony with the pedestrians, the cars passing by, the electric and neon lights advertising everything from food to lodging to Bargain! knick-knacks and electronics.  The thrum of _life_ that he and Al could sense, being mages, had its own rhythm, a beat almost like a communal heart, each individual presence just another part of the enormous creature of Central.

The city might have hated him, feared him if he were revealed, but it was his _home_ , and he had missed it.  And as they got closer to Roy’s apartment, Ed took the time to slow down and indulge in the sensory decadence—or trying.

“We’re _not_ getting Xingese, brother.”

“But _Alllll!_ ”  Ed whined in response to the disapproving voice.  “I’m hungry!”

“And _these_ ,” Al shot back, lifting the paper bag with the eggs inside, “are for Roy’s delicious dinner dish.  We are _not_ walking inside with ten bags of takeout when he’s been slaving—“

The end of Al’s sentence cut off with a choke and a thump as something whizzed by his head close enough to stir his hair.

“Al?”

Ed whirled—his brother had vanished.

“ _Al!_ ”

“Ed—“

There he was, crumpled against the wall, trying to stagger to his feet.  Thick, sticky lumps of something gelatinous made this more difficult.

Ed started towards him, then froze in alarm.  He recognized the gooey substance.

Magic suppressant.

He whirled, barely able to throw up a shield in time to stop the next projectile.  The bright blue field of energy sent the suppressants splattering outwards, passerby screaming and running—though whether from the mess or the blatant use of magic, Ed couldn’t tell.

“You little brat.”

Ed turned to the attacker, and his heart sank.  He didn’t know what the fuck was up with the man’s appearance—seriously, a bald head and a pointy waxed mustache? —but the military blue uniform told him all he needed to know, and the insignia on the shoulders told him more than he wanted.

Not just a member of a mage suppression squad, but a mage himself, in the employ of the military.

Fucking traitor.

“You thought I couldn’t track you, didn’t you?” the man spat as Ed inched towards the struggling Alphonse.  “You thought you _kids_ could just make a fool of me and then run off?”

The memory clicked, and Ed’s eyes widened.  He had seen the man at the labs, had run him around in a merry chase before turning around and sending the entire team scurrying with their tails between their legs.

Only, Ed had been with a group then, and he _hadn’t_ been protecting his incapacitated brother.

“Yes,” the man growled.  “I tracked you, and I’ve gotten two for the price of one.”

“Two more ass-kickings, yeah,” Ed snarled, glancing around to make sure the road was clear before drawing on the energy of the city to send a fissure cracking through the ground towards his opponent.

The man was surprisingly agile, dodging the fissure and raising a hand to begin another spell, energy pooling near his hand.

A transportation spell.  That’s how he was chucking the suppressant.  Ed snarled and slashed his hand diagonally, stopping the spell in its tracks.

“Ed, run!”

“Not a fucking chance,” Ed snarled at Al, staggering back as the man recovered.  Al was down, but Ed—Ed couldn’t touch him, not without risking losing his magic himself—

The next spell wasn’t a transport, but a raw burst of energy that sent the scattered chunks of street hurling in their direction indiscriminately.  Ed threw up his shield again, but he had to spread it to protect the both of them, and it required much more finesse than just throwing asphalt.

Finally, the barrage stopped, and Ed paused to take a breath, gathering his energy for another assault—

Too late he sensed the summoning spell, aimed behind him.  He tried to spin—

But half of the magic suppressant coating Al sped in the man’s direction—and Ed was straight in the way.

The gel hit him like shards of ice, leaving him staggering and gasping.  Having your essence ripped from you, even if it was temporary, was enough to leave the strongest person staggering, and Ed only managed to stay standing for a few more moments before collapsing.

He managed to drag himself towards Al, towards the wall, to try to—he didn’t know what he was going to do, but Al…

Stray gravel crunched underneath a pair of boots, and with a soft grunt, Ed managed to turn his head upwards, Al’s ragged breaths next to him a terrifying counterpoint.

“Pathetic,” the man spat, and a quick kick to Ed’s ribs sent him keeling over, gasping.  He gripped his fingers in the ground, still trying to push himself between the man and Al, but he couldn’t… couldn’t…

The next blow never came, and in a daze, Ed realized that he could hear another set of boots crunching gravel in the distance.

With a herculean effort, he dragged his head up once again.

And nearly _sobbed_ with relief.

But Ed’s opponent spoke first.

“Mustang,” he said sharply, lifting his chin.

“Basque Grand,” came Roy’s drawl.  “I heard explosions.  I should have known I’d find you in the middle of it.”

“Good.  You can help take these two in.”

Ed watched Roy gesture at his clothing, jeans and an old t-shirt that showed off his arms.  “I’m in civvies.  Off-duty.”

Basque Grand straightened, pointed mustache quivering.  “This _upstart_ led a raid on the labs, Mustang.  You know as well as I do that as a mage, I can’t touch them.”  He pointed.  “I order you to restrain them and assist me with bringing them to Central Headquarters.”

Roy exhaled slowly, sounding almost resigned.  Ed watched him, pleading—he knew Roy, knew that he would never hurt them, leave them to die, but… had he brought his gun?  Ed didn’t see it.  And killing—even just defying—a superior officer was asking a _lot._

“Oh, Basque,” Roy murmured with a sigh, the resignation solidifying.  “I can’t do that.”

“What—“

With a wrist movement that was almost lazy, Roy reached out, lifted his fingers, and snapped.

Fire _exploded_ in front of Roy—rushed towards Basque at the speed of a freight train.  The expanse lit up the evening, torching everything it touched to ashes, but with such precision that although Ed felt the heat’s proximity, despite only being feet away, not a spark landed on him.

He could only watch as Basque screamed, just once, before vanishing into smoke.

Roy?  _Roy?_

Ed watched him hurry over to them, casual expression replaced with concern.

“Are you two all right?  I heard the noises and thought that you might be in trouble.”

Despite feeling like shit, Ed shot him a _look._   It was Al who answered.

“Could… could you get this off…?”

“Right,” Roy breathed.  Ed recognized the motions and sensation of another transportation spell, and though the expanse of the suppressants meant that the process took several minutes, the sensation of disgusting heaviness eventually lifted, and Ed and Roy were able to stand.

“What… what the fuck?” Ed finally croaked, not yet steady enough to yank his arm away from Roy’s concerned touch.

“I’ll… can we get home?  Before I explain?  We need to hurry.”

“But… but you…”  Al’s small voice sounded as betrayed as Ed was beginning to feel.  How had Roy—no.  No, Ed goddamn knew how.

But Roy was right, and—and Al was weak.  He had to follow.

He glanced to the side as Roy led them away, and his eyes settled on the crumpled paper bag on the ground, dark spots beginning to seep through from the dozen eggs that had been smashed to bits inside.

—

Even a warm mug of hot chocolate didn’t completely settle Ed, although it helped.  Roy knew him too well.

And that… that was what _stung._   Roy knew him well, knew Al, had gone to such intimate depths with the both of them that had gained him _trust_ , trust they had never shared with anyone else besides each other.

And he had kept _this_ from them.

“So,” Roy began, prompted by the accusing stares leveled at him by both brothers.  “As you’ve seen, I am, in fact, a mage.”

“No _shit_ ,” Ed snapped, irritation returning.

Roy lifted his hands, sitting slowly.  “I suppose I should explain.”

“Please.”  That was Al, and his voice was even sharper than Ed’s, earning him a wince from Roy.

“I knew, from the time I was a teenager, that I needed to rise in the military if I ever wanted to do anything about the way we’re treated,” Roy began quietly.  “But if I joined as a mage, even one _with_ the military, I would never get as high as I needed.  You knew as well as I do that there would be no chance.”

“Makes sense,” Ed admitted begrudgingly.  It still _burned_ —okay, maybe that was a bad choice of words—to know that Roy had been on the magic suppression squad as a mage himself, but he also had to admit that there was no better way to throw someone off your tracks.

“When I met the two of you, when I _helped_ you escape the magic hunters, I didn’t have any good reason to tell you.  I didn’t _know_ you.  And then things moved so quickly—starting our relationship, having you two move in, by the time I realized I needed to tell you two, I was in too deep.”  He lifted his hands and spread them, smiling crookedly.  Ed _hated_ how good he looked when he did that.  “I don’t know how much it helps, but I’ve been trying to think of a way to bring it up to you both for quite some time.”

 _Fuck_ Roy, fuck him and damn him to hell for being able to—to gloss over such a misstep, and make it sound like such a _reasonable_ course of action.  Though Ed was reluctant to listen, he did have to admit that Roy had a point—

“Don’t lie.”

Ed’s eyes widened, and he and Roy both looked towards Al, stricken.  Al’s face was set in a solemn, tightlipped expression.

“I…”  Roy faltered, one of the first times Ed had ever seen him do so.  “I’m not…”

“You just wanted to make your revelation as dramatic as possible.”  Al managed to keep his expression straightfaced for a few seconds more before it twisted into a smirk, leaving both Roy and Ed bursting out with startled laughter.

“I think Al’s got your measure,” Ed chimed in, voice dry, and Roy sighed plaintively.

“You’re both terribly unfair.”

“You’re one to fuckin’ talk.”

Ed stuck his tongue out back, earning a lofty glare from Roy and a snicker from Al.

Despite the lack of eggs, the broken tension meant that their kitchen slowly settled back into normalcy.  Roy, however, continued to glance at the two of them with veiled concern in his eyes.  He knew, as did Ed and Al, that he wasn’t completely forgiven, that his secretkeeping hadn’t been forgotten.  But the three of them, they’d been through worse.  If anyone could come through on the other end, they might just be able to.


End file.
